Has anyone used these for a J Frame? How tightly does it hold the gun in? I've been using a Desantis Nemesis, and I like it. However, it holds the gun a little on the loose side. This is good for some of my pants, but sometimes I need a little more retention. I'm thinking a good leather pocket holster may do the trick. Thanks.

I have one for a j-frame and really like it. The "hook" works great in the pocket of my jeans I wear most, but the holster will sometimes come out with the gun in my slant pocket cargo shorts. I really like it, and I remember customer service being fast and freindly.
OZ

Does it hold the gun fairly tight?

Yes, doesn't even wiggle. It is much smaller than a Galco horsehide I have, and don't even use.
OZ

I also have one for my 442.I agree with everything Oscar says. Its also very comfortable and I use it in everything from shorts to jeans.

I have a Hume for my 340PD and it is very tight, and in fact needed to be slightly stretched (wrap the revolver in a thick ziplock bag and re-holster for a few days to loosen up) to allow a smooth draw. One thing I notice about pocket holsters is that the design has a lot to do with the type of pocket on the pants you are wearing. The Hume is only slightly rounded on the the rear bottom, so in a typical jean or khaki pants pocket with a curved shape to the rear, it tends to push and tip the top forward which can make the grip hard to grab. My Galco horsehide is much more curved at the bottom rear and squared off at the front which allows it to sit almost perfectly upright in a jean front pocket, and it is quite wide so it doesn't move around. I also have a Guru pocket holster that has a very squared-off bottom front and rear. This holster is ideal in the leg pocket of cargo shorts that have have a straight bottom, or in a patch pocket on a jacket. They are all good, just different (the Nemesis reminds me of an old sock but also seems to do the job, especially with small autoloaders).

I can't get the darned thing to work at all, the whole holster comes out with the gun, somehow the hook is not engaging the pocket seam.

quote:

Originally posted by Lt JL:
I can't get the darned thing to work at all, the whole holster comes out with the gun, somehow the hook is not engaging the pocket seam.

Into the holster box it goes........

The great big filled with holsters cheap and expensive holster box, sigh.

If I'm not mistaken, you're supposed to make the hook engage by drawing back against the rear of the pocket and scraping the holster off of the gun. I know, with some pockets and some holsters it happens automatically and without effort, but if it doesn't then it's up to you.

Alternatively, you can get a piece of rubberized webbing and glue it, usng fabric glue, to the holster to make it grip the pocket. I use 2-inch Gripper PolyPro webbing ($2/yard) from www.seattlefabrics.com/webbing.html.

quote:

Originally posted by prisoner6:
Has anyone used these for a J Frame? How tightly does it hold the gun in? I've been using a Desantis Nemesis, and I like it. However, it holds the gun a little on the loose side. This is good for some of my pants, but sometimes I need a little more retention. I'm thinking a good leather pocket holster may do the trick. Thanks.

Not trying to be wise-assed, really, just trying to help. What you need to do is wear the right pants. Looking for MORE retention from a pocket holster is, in my opinion, asking for trouble. Holster or no holster, if things are falling out of your pockets, you need different pockets, usually obtained by buying different pants, or, in your case, simply wearing the different pants that you already own. The purpose of a pocket holster is (in THIS order) maintaining the revolver in a position from which it can be easily drawn, making it less obvious, if necessary, that you have a revolver in your pocket, and reducing wear of your pants pocket. Retention is not in the job description; union rules state clearly that that is the job of the pants, with assistance allowed by gravity.


As it happens, I sometimes use a Don Hume holster as a pocket holster. However, it is not a Don Hume pocket holster; it is a Don Hume JIT slide for a K frame S&W. It works well with a 2" bobbed-hammer K frame, a 2" bobbed-hammer Agent, and a 2" J frame (don't need to bob those - mine are mostly Centennials). It positions the gun correctly and reduces wear on the pocket. With my pants (some kind of Dockers, mostly), printing wasn't an issue anyway, so I have no comments on whether it improves the view.

BTW, as you have probably discovered, the main issues with pants are deep and reasonably spacious pockets, and loose fit around the gut below the belt.

I cannot reasonably carry a concealed revolver in dungarees. This is not the fault of the holster, the gun, or my knowledge. It's just the way it is. Some pants work, some don't. When I want to carry a gun in my pants pocket, I start by wearing the right pants.

Hope this helps.

520